2021 r/KDRAMA Challenge

1. A drama featuring Lee Min Ho

Minimalist pick since I'm not a fan of LMH (but I do love Ji Chang Wook and Lee Joon Gi)

[started and completed on 1/8/2021]

2. A drama from r/kdramarecommends community official recommendation lists

Picked off the "What to watch after something intense" list. I have mixed feelings about this but it was decent and I enjoyed the self-aware PPL.

[started 1/18/2021; completed 1/27/2021]

3. A drama off the r/KDRAMA or r/kdramarecommends banner

Picked off the r/KDRAMA banner, since a recent poster for You Make Me Dance was gorgeous and I got curious about BL dramas. This was short and sweet with intense chemistry between leads - though I do wish it had been slightly longer so that the plot and supporting characters could be fleshed out more.

[started and completed 2/1/2021]

4. A drama that begins with the first letter of your user name

This was decently enjoyable, but the humor wasn't really my style and the antagonists were pretty incompetent so it was hard to take them seriously.

[started 2/1/2021; completed 3/3/2021] 

5. A drama that references a real historical event in Korea

References the Sampoong Department Store collapse in 1995. This was a magnificent drama with an incredibly high level and range of raw emotions, with poignant storytelling and life lessons!

[started 3/17/2021; completed 3/21/2021]

6. A drama featuring character(s) who speak in dialect

The Taeyang chairman speaks in a dialect. This was a really fun romp, mixing "heist movie" vibes with a fight for justice and truth. Protagonists were super likeable and antagonists were super hateable - what a thrilling and enjoyable ride!

More detailed review here

[started 2/13/2021; completed 2/16/2021]

7. A drama that takes place in a location other than Seoul

Set in fictional Kisung City. Really glad I watched this - it's fun and action-packed and one of my favorite dramas!

[started 1/3/2021; completed 1/7/2021]

8. A drama that features one of the top 10 locations in 2020 on KDL

I selected this because it had a scene at the Forest of Wisdom, and I love seeing that show up! I was also pleasantly surprised by the rest of the backdrops, some of which also featured books, as well as artistic color-blocking and cool architecture.

I thought this drama handled social media, user growth initiatives, and Internet privacy really well. The characters' conflicts/inner turmoil were realistic, and the themes of female empowerment and friendships were satisfying to watch.

[started 3/9/2021; completed 3/14/2021]

9. A drama that is an adaptation or a remake

Adapted from a web novel by the same name - a pretty basic romcom, but entertaining with decent plot arcs.

[started 3/26/2021; completed 3/29/2021]

10. A drama where the main story doesn't involve romance

This wasn't the best action thriller, but was still entertaining. The plot was fast-paced but very convenient (especially with the deadline), so there wasn't too much suspense.  I really didn't like the camerawork though - it was mostly extreme close-ups of the characters with very few backgrounds.

[started 3/21/2021; completed 4/17/2021]

11. A drama featuring great friendships

The side characters could have been better/more consistently developed, but the core cast definitely lived up to the "great friendships" challenge, and the drama was very entertaining.

[started 3/4/2021; completed 3/8/2021]

12. A drama with a lead actor/actress you haven't seen in a leading role before

This was my first time seeing either of the leads (and also the second couple) in any drama, and I am CHARMED! This was such an adorable slice-of-life romcom; there was a bit of chaebol drama but overall it was pretty grounded in reality and managed to captivate me the whole way though.

[started 1/20/2021; completed 2/5/2021]

13. A drama written by a renowned screenwriter

Written by Park Jae Bum, who was also behind Chief Kim and Fiery Priest. This had an interesting mix of dark crime and campy humor, and was a very exhilarating and enjoyable ride! I liked it a lot better than Chief Kim.

[started 2/20/2021 (premiere date); completed 5/2/2021]

14. A drama directed by a renowned director

I was skeptical of the premise at first, but this was unexpectedly entertaining! The Jalgeum Quartet and student president were perfectly cast and the relationships were fantastic and hilarious.

[started 2/23/2021; completed 2/28/2021]

15. A drama by a writer or director whose works you haven't watched

This is the first drama I've seen from both the writer and director. It was cute! The ML was so sweet and supportive even before they started dating, and it was a very wholesome watch.

[started 1/8/2021; completed 1/10/2021]

17. A short-format drama (under 10 hours)

I started this for JCW - definitely would not have watched without him, but I'm fairly glad I did. There were a lot of roller-coaster quality episodes, but overall it was an enjoyable watch with great leads (and hilarious PPL!)

[started 1/1/2021; completed 2/16/2021]

18. A drama in a genre outside of your comfort zone

This was definitely out of my comfort zone - creepy and mildly disturbing, with all the adults being varying degrees of infuriating... also very well executed and interesting to watch! And the plot moved at a steady pace that kept me engaged the whole way through.

[started 5/14/2021; completed 6/7/2021]

19. A drama with a rating less than 7.5 or with less than 5000 viewers on MDL

This had a 7.1 rating when I started watching. It was hard for me to rate because it was addicting to watch but also pretty bad - ultimately I ended up rating it much lower (5.5), mostly because of finale, which was one of the most frustrating and least satisfying episodes ever, rivaling So I Married My Anti-Fan.

Ignoring the final episode, the rest of the drama might have hovered around the MDL average? It wasn't terrible, but there was so much angst that I was honestly impressed the characters could be semi-productive amidst all their moping and crying... I watched this mostly for Taecyeon though, and his character was cute.

[started 6/30/2021; completed 7/7/2021]

20. A drama featuring a profession or lifestyle different from your own

Easy category to fill since I think my profession has only been in two dramas watched... anyway, this was a masterpiece and easily landed a spot in my top 3 dramas! 

More detailed review here

[started 4/27/2021, completed 5/9/2021]

22. A pre-2010 drama

This was from 2007 - it was pretty enjoyable! Some aspects definitely dated this as an older drama that definitely wouldn't fly nowadays, but other aspects were surprisingly progressive and heartwarming.

[started 6/8/2021; completed 6/13/2021]

23. A drama you have been putting off watching

I put this off for about 10 months after I first heard about it because I didn't think it would be that good... but finally watched it for the 2pm members and it was super enjoyable! Great casting, nice plot/character arcs, fun performances. =)

[started 5/10/2021; completed 5/13/2021]

24. A rewatch of a drama you have previously watched

BEST. DRAMA. EVER. I will never get tired of watching this... it's so perfect! Took a little longer to finish this time around because I spaced it out so I could have some comfort episodes to fall back on if/when I got bored of other dramas.

[started 2/7/2021; completed 3/16/2021]